However, the Tatar khans continued to consider the grand princes of Moscow to be their vassals, and from time to time they still raided the territory of Moscow and indeed the city itself. Moreover, the Kazan Tatars controlled the middle Volga, frustrating the ambitions of Russia's rulers to extend their trading activities to the east.
A History of the Peoples of Siberia, by James Forsyth
A very long time ago there lived a rich peasant in a village. He had a homestead and a good house. There was a pen in his yard and there lived a brave cockerel and several hens. The cockerel was used to walking around the yard, looking to the left and looking to the right: he kept order, putting on airs and graces.
One early morning the cockerel jumped up, sat on the fence and began to yell:
"Cock-a-doodle-doo! Ku-ka-re-ku! Dear girls and ladies, you have received a great honour! Now I am not just a cock - I am Cock-The-Khan! I am Cock-The-Shah, I am Cock-The-Padishah, I am Cock-The-Sultan! My winsome chickens, my dear babies, - blackish and whitish, greyish, reddish and goldish: tell me, who is the most handsome in the world? Who is the greatest man of courage?"
Having heard him, there gathered all the chickens, - blackish and whitish, greyish, reddish and goldish. They surrounded their master - the magnificent Khan, the great Shah, the mighty Padishah, the powerful Sultan, - and began to sing:
"Cock-a-doodle-doo, oh, Magnificent Khan! Kud-ku-da, oh, Great Shah! Cock-a-doodle-doo, oh, Mighty Padishah! Kud-ku-da, oh, Powerful Sultan! No one in the world is so brave, as you are. No one in the world is so smart, as you are. There is nobody in the world as handsome as you are!"
"Cock-a-doodle-doo!" The Cock was singing louder. "Who has a colourful dress? Who has strong legs? Who has a loud voice?"
"Oh, Great Shah, you have a colourful dress. Oh, Magnificent Padishah, you have strong legs. You, the Great of the Greatest, have a voice louder than a lion!" were clucking the chickens.
The Cock inflated with pride, raised his high crest and cackled his best:
"Ku-ka-re-ku! Come to me closer and tell me loudly: who has the highest Crown on his head?"
The chickens came to the fence, bowing down before the Very Important Cock and singing:
"You have the highest Crown on your head, which is glittering like a blaze. You are our Only Shah. You are our Only Padishah!"
At that time, a fat cook had crept up to the cockerel, like a bolt out of a clear sky, and grabbed him by the neck.
"Ku-ka-re-ku! What a horrid nightmare!" cried Cock-The-Shah. "Kud-ku-da! Where are you going?" shouted the chickens.
The cook caught the Mighty Khan by his right leg, and he killed the Great Shah with a sharp knife! The cook plucked all the variegated dress off the Powerful Padishah, and he cooked chicken soup, - that despicable cook, - from the King of Glory!
The kind folks gathered around the table, where there was a big pot of soup. They were eating and praising:
"Oh yeah, what a delicious cockerel! Quite so, what a fatty rooster!"
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